Crosshead drive



1 March 25, 1941.

J. BLACKLEY CROSSHEAD DRIVE March 25, 1941. J BLACKLEY 2,236,131 cnossamn DRIVE Filed Jan.- 19, 19-10 ZSheets-Sheet 2' Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED- STATE-S PATENT OFFICE cnossnmn DRIVE Application January 19, 1940, Serial No. 314,721

8 Claims; (01. 101-256) This invention relates to printing presses particularly of the flat-bed travelling cylinder type in which the impression cylinders are reciprocated over stationary beds, said impression cylzinders being mounted in crossheads disposed at opposite sides of the press and reciprocated by crank wheels and pitmen. Ordinarily the crossheads of such presses are actuated by large crank wheels disposed above the floor level at the sides ;f the press, and the swinging of the relatively long pitmen through comparatively large arcs, up and down at the sides of the press, has been found to interfere greatly with the press operators access to the press while it is in motion. In-

i;this type of press the type beds are generally arranged one above the other, and means are provided for feeding a web and directing it successively to and between the cylinders and the beds, and from thence to the delivery. The web 20:.feeding, guiding and delivery mechanisms how-- ever form no part of my present invention.

The principal object. of my invention is to provide a novel. drive for the crossheads carrying the travelling impression cylinders whereby 2,5;the customary large crank wheels and relatively long pitmen disposed above the floor level at the sides of the press may be dispensed with, my invention providing a novel drive disposed below the floor level and involving the use of racks 3O gon the undersides of the crossheads meshing with segmental gears operated by relatively short pitmen, which pitmen while having a vertical swinging motion are conveniently disposed entirely out of the way of the press operator standing 35 :at the side of the press, thus giving the operator maximum access to the press while it is in motion.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one 40 practical embodiment thereof, to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same, and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

45 In said drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a flat-bed travelling cylinder type press equipped with my novel crosshead drive.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2,

50 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

As shown, the press preferably comprises a pair of spaced side frames I, I, carrying the 55 upper and lower type beds 2a, 2, in the usual manner, the outer sides of the frames I being provided adjacent their lower edges with horizontally disposed guide slots Ia.

Reciprocably mounted at the outer sides of the frames I, I- are opposed crossheads 3 havin inward projections 3a, adjacent their lower edges slidably engaging the guide slots Ia of the frames, said crossheads 3 being connected together in any suitable manner to form a unit which may be reciprocated horizontally with respect to the frames. Crossheads 3 carry the customary impression cylinders 4a, 4, respectively, cooperating with the beds 2a, 2 and the inking rollers 5 conventionall shown in the drawings, which elements form no part of my present invention.

In my novel press, the drive for the crossheads 3 is disposed entirely below the floor level F, preferably in a pit P or the like, and consists of frame extensions Ia: depending from the lower faces of the side frames I and disposed in pit P. Extensions Ia: may beiormedintegrally with the side frames I, or formed separably and attached to the said frames in any desired manner. Journaled in the extensions la: is a drive shaft 6 which may bev driven in any desired manner by a suitable prime mover.

Also journaled in extensions Ia: adjacent their lower ends is a rock shaft I disposed parallel with drive shaft 6 and on the approximate center line of the beds 2, 2a. Rock shaft I carries segmental gears 8 meshing with racks 3m formed or mounted on the lower faces of crossheads 3, whereby as segments 8 are oscillated the crossheads 3 will be correspondingly reciprocated in the press frame. Each gear segment 8 is provided with an axially disposed wrist pin I4.

Journaled in the frame extensions Ia: parallel with .drive shaft 6, is a shaft 9 carrying gears It meshing with gears I I on drive shaft 6. Gears I0 also carry crank pins I2, and pitmen I3 are provided connecting the crank pins I2 with the wrist pins I4 of the segmental gears 8, whereby rotation of drive shaft 6 will cause reciprocation of the crossheads 3.

The paper web w may be fed from a roll W at one end of the frames I, and passes around suitable guides and between feed rollers I5, I5a, from whence it passes around suitable guides and looping rollers to and over a guide I6 mounted in the crossheads 3, then under the lower impression cylinder 4, up over guide I! mounted in the crossheads, then under a guide I8 at the end of the frames I opposite from roll W. The web w then passes up over guide I9 to a guide 20 mounted in the cross-heads, then under the upper impression cylinder 4a and over guide 21 mounted in the crossheads, then over and around suitable guides and loopin rollers, to and between the discharge rollers 22, 23 from whence it is passed to angle bars 24, and from thence to a suitable folder (not shown). The printing is effected by rolling the cylinders over the beds, the web w remaining stationary between the cylinder and bed during printing, the web to being shifted to present a new surface to be printed while the cylinder stroke is reversed. The particular details of the web feeding devices however form no part of my present invention. The drive for the feed rollers I5, I50, and discharge rollers 22, 23 may be conveniently taken from the shaft 9 as indicated in Fig. 1; but same however forms no part of my present invention.

By the above construction rotation of drive shaft 6 will rotate gears l disposed in. pit. P below the floor level F, and the relatively short pitmen [3 will cause the gear segments 8 in said pit to oscillate, thereby reciprocating the racks 3r on the undersides of the crossheads 3. Thus the crosshead drive is disposed entirely below the floor F, and while. the, short pitmen l3 have a vertical motion, same will be entirely disposed out of the way of the operator standing at, the side of the press, thereby giving the operator maximum access to the press while the latter is in motion.

I do not consider my invention limited to the exact form shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of. the claims.

I claim:

1. A crosshead drive for printing presses having a frame supporting a type bed, and having opposed. interconnected crossheads reciprocably mounted at the sides of said frame. and carrying an impression cylinder; comprising frame extensions depending below the floor level, a rock shaft journaled in said extensions opposite the center of the bed; members on said rock shaft disposed below the respective crossheads; intermeshing teeth on the crossheadsand on said members; a crank shaft journaled in said extensions below the floor level, means for rotating said crank shaft; and pitmen connecting said crank shaft and said members respectively.

2. A crossheaddrive for printing presses having a frame supporting a type bed, and having opposed interconnected crossheads reciprocably mounted at the sides of said frame and carrying an impression cylinder; comprising frame extensions depending below the floor level, a rock shaft journaled in said extensions opposite the tensions depending from the lower ends of the frames to points below the floor level; a rock shaft journaled in said extensions opposite the center of the bed; segmental gears on said rock shaft disposed below the respective crossheads; racks on the undersides of the crossheads meshing with their related segmental gears, a crank shaft journaled in said extensions; crank gears on said crank shaft. disposed below the floor level substantially opposite the respective segmental gears, means for rotating said crank gears; and pitmen connecting said crank gears and. their related segmental gears.

4. In a printing press, a frame resting on the floor level and extending over a pit, a type bed on said frame; crossheads reciprocably mounted at the sides of said frame and having. their lower ends terminating adjacent the floor level; an impression cylinder carried by said crossheads; frame extensions depending down into said pit; a rock shaftv journaled in said extensions opposite the center of the bed; members on said rock shaft disposed below the respective crossheads; intermeshing teeth on the crossheads and on said members; a crank shaft journaled in said extensions; means for rotating said crank shaft, and pitmen connecting said crank shaft and said members respectively.

5. In a printing press as set forth in claim 4, said members comprising segmental gears meshing with racks on the crossheads.

6. In a printing press as set forth. in claim 4, said members comprising segmental gears meshing with racks on the undersides of the crossheads.

7. In a printing press as set forth in claim 4, said frame extensions being formed integrally with said frame.

8; In a printing press as set forth in claim 4, said frame extensions being detachably attached to the undersides of said frames.

JAMES L. BLACKLEY. 

